


dreamscape

by tarte



Series: the swirl of coffee at 9.57am [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bokuto and Kuroo run a cafe, Fluff, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Tsukishima is a professor, bokuto is a fucking dork, in which kuroo inherits a cafe and its the best damn thing ever, shopping district au, yama-chan is best friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-14 18:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8024770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tarte/pseuds/tarte
Summary: Kuroo Tetsurou loved early mornings in the cafe, when he only had himself, his coffee machine, and the world outside slows down. Tsukishima is a professor at the nearby university, and he's lost hope in love.Coupled with fresh, homemade tarts, piping hot coffee and Bokuto Koutarou breaking his 5th espresso mug in 2 hours, the two of them will explore the world together.In sight, smell, taste, sound and touch, they're unstoppable.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the choppy-esque writing style in advance! i write poetry a lot so the style kind of carries forward.  
> In the next 2 months i hope to work a lot on this series! so pls bear with me wahah  
> Once again thanks for your readership and do leave a comment if you;d like to see anything added! do chat me up at my twitter @kimochees as well!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> beginnings, a short drabble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS UNDERGOING EDITING, UPDATE IS ESTIMATED TO BE OUT ON DECEMBER 1st

The café seemed to have a habit of being slow on certain days.

As Kuroo stood at the counter, cleaning mugs, he watches as the crowd outside walks by the glass window. Kuroo wonders, how their lives will play out? Many of them seemed to be in a rush, speeding and checking their phones and watches.

Kuroo never did favour that high-profile life of working a 9-5 office job.

He looks down to wipe off that one speck of coffee on the white porcelain, when suddenly, the door opens.  
“Ah, good morning.” He says.

As he glances up, he spots a tall, bespectacled man, with soft golden curls. The man holds a notebook and laptop in one hand, and his phone in the other.

He sits down next to the window that Kuroo tends to stare out of, and he gets up to order his drink.

Kuroo realises that he has never really noticed a person like this before, with the way he gently drummed his fingers on the wooden table top, and the way his nose twitches when his glasses fall a little.

It is only until he speaks, that he realises, that this man was a work of art himself.

“Just a latte, please. Large.”  
Kuroo grabs one of the styrofoam cups from the stack next to the register, and he turns around, pushing one of the buttons on the two year old espresso machine. Damn, is it overheating again? He’d have to check the ledger to see if he could spare some of his earnings for a newer machine.  

He glances up as he pours the milk in, and he watches how the tall blond pursed his lips as he gazed up at the menu, wondering about the other items on the menu that he had yet to try.

Grabbing a plastic lid from the drawer, Kuroo snaps it on the hot cup, and slides the drink over on the counter.

“Here you go, nice and hot, just for you.”  
“Thank you.”  
Their fingers brush when the tall blond hands the ten dollar bill over, and Kuroo’s skin tingled where the man’s hand touched.

“Come again soon, sir.”  
The tall blond turns and heads to his table, where he sat and turned on his laptop.  
For the next few hours, Kuroo watched from his spot at the counter, gazing at how the tall blond’s forehead creased gently once he seemed to get stuck on whatever he was working on.

\---

Every morning, Kuroo would wake at 4am, and he would head to the café to bake pastries and bread, before putting them in the display case.  
His café was his pride and joy, inherited from his parents.

He loved it when the sun had yet to rise, when music gently played as he kneaded the dough.

He loved it when the smell of jam filled the café, when he grabs one of his freshly baked treats for breakfast; alongside a cup of fresh coffee he brewed.

To him, this café was his haven.

What Kuroo loved the most, was when he watches his customers take a bite of his pastries and smiles, knowing well that the love and effort that he put into the food was well received by them.

So when the tall blond enters the shop one day, he knew that this was one customer that he definitely wanted to try his pastries.

“Good morning sir. We have a sample of strawberry tarts today.”  
“Is that so? Well, I’d like one tart and the usual latte then.”  
“Excellent choice, sir.”  
Kuroo watches from his spot at the counter as the tall blond bites into the tart. He watches how his eyes slightly widen, and he leans in to take another bite, clearly enjoying the taste of the sweet pastry.

That was one of Kuroo’s favourite moments, when customers silently tell him how much he loved his freshly baked pastries.

\---

It’s winter when Kuroo’s business seems to pick up a little. Cold bodies wrapped in thick fabric sat around in his warm establishment, sipping on coffee and watching the world go by outside of Kuroo’s window.

It’s also winter when the tall blond began to regularly come in.

“Hello, Tsukki. The usual today?”  
“Don’t call me Tsukki. And yes, but I’d like a raspberry muffin today.”  
“It’ll be done in five minutes.”  
Kuroo learned his name when Tsukishima had brought in a friend one day. The shorter man had said the name so much that his name was permanently ingrained in Kuroo’s mind. He knew his name was Tsukishima, after the blond had told him, but the habit of calling him Tsukki never seemed to dissipate.  
“You never seem to have any employees helping you.” Tsukishima says.

“Huh?”  
“Whenever I come in, you’re always alone. Why’s that?”  
Kuroo smiles at the man, setting down the pitcher of milk that he had long grown accustomed to.

“I guess I’ve never really thought about employing others to help out.”  
Tsukishima raises a brow at him, as if Kuroo had just spoken in a foreign language.

“Maybe you should. They could help around.”  
“I’ll think about it.”  
“Alright.”  
Their conversations never did last very long, and having Tsukishima show concern for him – well, the establishment, was heartwarming.

Kuroo picks up the styrofoam cup and hands it to the tall man, watching as his long and slender fingers wrap around the cup.

\--

Bokuto seemed to liven up the place a lot more.

What once used to be Kuroo’s haven of peace, had quickly become a lively hangout for many, with Bokuto’s enthusiasm brightening up the place.

With Bokuto around, Kuroo seemed to be less relaxed, with him needing to care for the child-like man.

It brought Kuroo a headache, every once in a while, but with the introduction of the café’s first employee that wasn’t its owner, Kuroo was introduced to his new best friend.

It takes Tsukishima four visits until Bokuto begins to pester him.

“HEY HEY HEY! It’s Tsukki-kun!” The owl-like man shouts, his voice echoing through the café on a rainy Thursday morning.

“It’s Tsukishima, don’t call me Tsukki.”  
Although his booming voice was a quite a wake-up call to anyone in the café, Kuroo admits that his enthusiasm and infinite energy was endearing.

The tall blond approaches the counter again, looking at Kuroo.

“The usual.”  
“Good morning to you too, Tsukki.”  
“Don’t call me that.”  
Kuroo laughs, having long gotten used to the blond’s grumpy and aloof attitude.

“Say, I’ve never really asked about you. What do you do everyday? Do you have a job?”  
He taps on the counter as Bokuto works on Tsukishima’s order, loud singing filling the warm café. The customers glance back at the counter, wondering what was making the ruckus.

“I’m a professor.” Tsukishima replies, purposefully ignoring the crowing coming from behind Kuroo.

“I see! I have some friends who are taking their degree right now. Maybe you’ll run into them at the university! You teach at the one in town right?” Kuroo asks, grabbing the latte cup that Bokuto had handed to him.

“Well, I don’t see which other university would allow me to drop by this café every morning, Kuroo.”  
The cat-like barista laughs, and he slides the drink and Tsukishima’s pastry over on the counter.

“Aha, sassy. I like that.” He winks at the taller blond, before waving at him, wishing him a good day.

Kuroo always liked it when Tsukishima talked to him.

\--

Bokuto comes into the café one day in the afternoon, after his lunch break.

“Bro,” He says, his eyes wide as he exhales, clutching at his shirt as if he had been shot, “I think I’m in love.”  
Kuroo doubles over and spits out the mouthful of coffee that he just sipped, leaving a large puddle of coffee on one of the marble tabletops.

“Bokuto.” He wipes at his lips with his white hoodie sleeve, leaving coffee stains on the cotton fabric and leftover trails on the marble.

“Kuroo, I’m telling you, I saw the most beautiful creature today,” The owl-like man runs over to Kuroo, grabbing his hand with both of his and jumping up and down. It takes approximately half an hour for Bokuto to finish screaming about how beautiful this mysterious person was, and by the end of it all, Kuroo was exhausted from the relentless chattering.

“Look, why don’t you just bring him over one day?” He suggests, and Bokuto’s eyes light up with hope and excitement.  
“THAT’S BRILLIANT! Only… I don’t really know his name or his number… Unless…!”  
Kuroo groans, knowing where this would go.

“KUROO, GET UP, IT’S TIME FOR OPERATION CATCH-THE-PRETTY-GUY!”  
And for once, he wishes that he didn’t come into work this morning.

 


	2. grandma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bokuto thinks more about akaashi, and kuroo loves his late night walks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS TOOK... SO LONG TO UPDATE ASDFGHJKL IM REALLY SORRY FOR THE WRITER'S BLOCK!!!

Akaashi would never describe himself as a wild kind of guy.

He was always the type to go home after school, and study the work his teacher had gone over in class after a lesson. Now, at the age of 25, he was all by himself, owning a bookstore in the middle of a busy street in Tokyo.

He didn't hate it, however. Akaashi's bookshop was known for selling books that weren't that well known. The youth came by after classes when the sun setting coloured the sky in purples and oranges, and the elders came in on their lunch breaks; with a can of hot ramen they had purchased from a nearby vending machine.

Akaashi's shop was well loved by all, especially by the owner himself.

His shop was a haven for him, a place he had filled with tons of obscure titles, all organized according to author and genre. His routine was simple. First, upon reaching the shop, he would do a bit of housekeeping to maintain the shelves, ensuring that no dust touched his precious books. He would then have breakfast at the counter, and sometimes he would purchase pastries from the café next door. Once he was done with his breakfast, he would also check online for new releases from his favourite authors, sometimes preordering a large shipment for distribution. Every day at exactly 10.40am, Akaashi would randomly choose a book from his collection, and make himself comfortable with a cup of tea in hand, curled up in one of the armchairs that he had placed near the window.

His life was simple, and he loved it that way.

He wasn't the only one who loved how simplistic his life was, however.

From the café next door, Bokuto Koutarou sits on the front steps of the shop, wondering exactly what he could do to approach the breathtaking shopkeeper next door.

He wasn't the sort who was romantic. In fact, throughout his entire life, he was frequently told that he was a klutz, and could probably never get a girlfriend.

Jokes on them right? He would be getting a boyfriend. Screw you, Taro from junior high!

Bokuto pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and thumbed through it, wondering if it would be enough to take him out on a date.

500 yen and his ID card. Bokuto definitely wasn't taking Akaashi out on any dates until his next paycheck…

But to Bokuto, a simple trip to McDonalds on a Thursday night wasn't going to cut it as a good first date.

Akaashi was a man of poetry. The way he moved, the way his lips quirked up at the corners when he read a rather amusing paragraph and the way he sometimes forgot that he finished his drink but still pressed the cup to his lips anyway.

Bokuto Koutarou was definitely in love, and he definitely wasn't going to mess this up.

While Bokuto was busy daydreaming about his bookish beauty next door, Kuroo was quite distracted with work. Wondering what on earth his friend was doing, he finished the last of his orders before his lunch break, and leaned on the counter, spotting him on the steps of his shop.

"Bokuto, what are you doing?" Kuroo asked him as he took a seat right next to him, watching the people speed past his coffee shop on the busy streets of Daikanyama; rushing to have lunch before taking on the second half of the work day.

"Just.. Taking a break?" Bokuto said as he glanced absentmindedly to the side, wanting to get up and peek through the glass window in front of the bookstore. Kuroo found this quite strange. It wasn't every day that Bokuto was this quiet, and he had never decided to have his lunch on the steps before. He always complained about it being too hot outside to eat, and he much preferred the air-conditioned interior of the coffee shop.

"Yeah, but on the steps? Isn't it a little hot? It's the summertime."

"Nah, bro. It's too cold inside."

Now that was when Kuroo realised that Bokuto was indeed acting strangely. Bokuto saying it's too cold is something that never happens.

"Bro, you're gonna have to tell me exactly why you're acting this way. I know you. You saying it's too cold is like me saying that fish is disgusting." He says as he crosses his arms, leaning over to see exactly what he was staring at. He squints and frowns at Bokuto, wanting him to fess up about exactly why he was acting so differently today.

The silver haired man sighs and nods, before glancing back to Kuroo again.

"It's Akaashi."

"What? Dude, when you told me you had a crush, I didn't think it would be this serious," Kuroo's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. "I thought you were just joking around!"

Bokuto had indeed told him a few months ago that he was in love, but never in his wildest dreams did he think that his friend was being serious about it. Suddenly, everything clicked. The longing glances out of the window, the energy that Bokuto suddenly got on his breaks after long hour shifts, it was clear as day to anyone that Bokuto just simply wasn't playing this time, and he was serious about courting the beautiful shopkeeper next door.

The both of them stay silent until Kuroo speaks up again.

"I'll help you."

"Huh?" Bokuto glances to his best friend and boss, not quite understanding what he was talking about.

"I said I'll help you. It's what a bro does, yeah?"

Before Kuroo can continue, he's tackled to the floor in a big bear hug, and he swears that he blacked out from the force of his friend's arms around his neck.

\---

It's 8pm when the last of the customers leave the coffee shop. Kuroo didn't complain, however. With opening hours from 7.30am to 9pm, inclusive of his daily 4am prep, it didn't take much to tire him out. While he wiped the marble counter, Bokuto mopped the floor, whistling to the song playing from the shop's speakers.

"Hey, Kuroo, did you go to college?" Kuroo looked up to see Bokuto glancing at him while cleaning up.

"I did. But my parents couldn't really take care of their shop anymore." He used the rag in his hand to dry the coffee mugs, making sure that the droplets of water dotting the white porcelain were wiped off. Once dried, he stacked them neatly in the drawer, preparing his shop for closing.

"So this was your parents' shop once?" At this point, Bokuto completely stopped mopping, pulling out a chair and sitting with his stomach to the backrest; leaning his chin on the top of the chair.

"Yeah. But they decided that they didn't really like maintaining this old place," Kuroo laughed and smiled, "So they gave the place to me. I used to love running around serving coffee to the customers when I was a little boy."

Kuroo's parents were never good at sticking to one thing. The couple was the type to jump ship once they got bored with something. Kuroo turned out a little differently, though. While he was growing up, he found it more satisfying to finish things rather than start new projects every other week. This only resulted in Kuroo learning many different skills, ultimately becoming the all-rounder that he was today.

"Wow, so this place must really really be old." Bokuto found this information to be quite shocking. The coffee shop was so well maintained under Kuroo's care, that the smallest crack in the wall would result in him taking a trip to the hardware store and returning with a tub of plaster and a tin of paint.

"About 20 years, actually. They bought the shop when I was 5." Kuroo smiled and put away the last of the mugs in the drawer.

"I'm done. Let's finish up cleaning the shop and let's go."

Bokuto glanced to Kuroo for a moment, wondering if there was something more to that story.

It took 30 minutes for them to finish cleaning, before they finally left the shop.

\---

The night was great for walking. That was one of Kuroo's favourite things about living in a suburb; no matter how hectic it got at the coffee shop, he could always unwind by taking the walk home from the train station.

He wasn't used to driving. He had a license, but he found that life without a car was so much better, since he didn't have to worry about the gas fees and the like. While he walked under the lights of the streetlamps, he watched as his shadow formed under him, mimicking his every movement.

As a child, he used to love playing with his shadow a lot, since he didn't have anyone to play with. His parents weren't always around. While the café was under their name, it was his grandparents who took care of it. Customers used to love coming to the café to drink the coffee that his grandfather made while munching on a creamy pastry that his grandmother baked.

The old couple was loved by customers. Their kindness and warmth were the reason why they were affectionately referred to as Papa and Mama by everyone.

Kuroo didn't like holding grudges, but he acknowledged that his grandparents were better at parenthood than his own parents ever were.

Unfortunately, while Kuroo had returned to his home during a break while he was still attending college, the news that Papa had died in his sleep greeted him; leaving behind his grieving grandmother.

It broke Kuroo's heart. Having someone that took such good care of him leaving was not easy, and neither was it easy when Mama had suffered a stroke shortly after. That break, Kuroo had dropped out of college to help run the coffee shop, and earn some money to support his grandmother.

When she finally passed on seven months later, Kuroo had sworn to carry on looking after the coffee shop in order to preserve their memory.

The first few months of taking care of it alone were hard. To trade his bachelor's degree for coffee machines would be difficult for anybody, especially for someone who had been taken care of all his life. It was always the walks home that would help him feel a lot better. Nights like these reminded him of his first few nights closing shop on his own.

It was quiet, it was still, and it offered Kuroo comfort in the hurried state of mind that he had.

All he could think of at work was about his situation. All the doubtful thoughts that roared in his mind paused when he gazed up at the night sky, when he gave himself the opportunity to stop thinking so much for a while.

And that continued till this day.

Now, he didn't have much to worry about. He was alone, and he had someone to help him out at the coffee shop. He didn't have any problems with his expenses either since he budgeted his money all the time. He kept silent, though, finding the calmness of the night quite enjoyable.

His peace was cut off, however, when he accidentally bumped into another person.

"G-Gah! Sorry, I didn't see you there!" He tilted his head up slightly and realised that the person he had bumped into was a regular at his coffee shop.

"Tsukki?"

"Don't call me that." The blond looked irked. He looked as if he had just finished work, with his dress shirt slightly wrinkled, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his tie slightly crumpled. He had his signature white headphones on his head, which made Kuroo smile a little.

"Just finished work?" Kuroo asked, amused at how Tsukishima always looked so grumpy. It was absolutely adorable, in his opinion.

"Yes. What are you doing here, Kuroo-san? Do you live here?" He asks, adjusting the straps of his backpack.

"I live around this part. I didn't expect you to live here too, though!" The barista laughs and nods, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"Right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, as always."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, Tsukki."

While the both of them walked in opposite directions, Kuroo smirked a little as he glanced back at Tsukishima, staring at his blond head.

He had the opportunity to get to know his favourite customer even better now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter @kimochees  
> tumblr; weeilums.tumblr.com


	3. lists

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bokuto writes tons of lists, and tsukishima thinks yamaguchi is the devil disguised behind a freckled mask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beta'd by tsukki. Thank you so so much!! <3

_A LIST OF THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT AKAASHI MOTHERFUCKING KEIJI: COMPOSED, NARRATED, RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN BY BOKUTO “CANDYMAN KOU” KOUTAROU._

_AKAASHI KEIJI IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL MAN; THE WAY HE EATS ONIGIRI CAN BE COMPARED TO A MAJESTIC EAGLE SOARING IN THE AIR. HIS FINGERS ARE SO SLENDER AND GORGEOUS THAT THEY CAN PART THE VERY OCEAN INTO THREE WITH EASE. AKAASHI'S LIPS ARE SUPER ADORABLE, NOT TOO THIN AND NOT TOO THICK - THE PERFECT SIZE! AKAASHI KEIJI LOOKS LIKE HE’S SHORTER THAN ME, AND THAT’S ALRIGHT BECAUSE I WOULD CARRY HIM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH IF IT MEANT THAT I COU--_

 

“You know, writing lists when you’re on shift isn’t a very good idea. You could get into trouble with your boss.”

Bokuto jolted as he shoved the piece of paper he was scrawling on into his apron pocket. The pencil dropped onto the wooden floor with a soft tap.

“U-Uh, what list?”

Kuroo narrowed his eyes at his friend, placing the cup he was holding on the counter. Bokuto had been like this for weeks, ever since he first told Kuroo that he liked Akaashi. At first, it was a mere crush, but when the squealing had stopped and the googly eyes turned into soft, absentminded gazes out of the shop’s window, he knew that his friend was fucked.

“Bokuto... if you really like him that much, why don’t you just go and talk to him?”

Bokuto stared at Kuroo, as if he had spoken some foreign language that he didn’t understand whatsoever.

“Bro, I know I’m awesome. I’m touched that you think that I’m that amazing. But this is _Akaashi_ we’re talking about! Akaashi with the heavenly face!” Bokuto did think quite highly of himself, but it wasn’t enough for the beautiful shopkeeper next door. He loved walking by to see him reading on his armchair. He loved watching him adjust his glasses when they slipped off his nose a little. He would fantasize about seeing Akaashi squint a little after taking the glasses off after having read one too many books past his bed time. He would fantasize about kissing his eyelids and carrying him off to bed, with a sleepy beauty in his arms curling up. Heavenly wasn’t a word Bokuto would use to describe Akaashi, but his vocabulary wasn’t good enough to put the shopkeeper’s beauty into words.

“Well, you never know if you don’t try. Besides..." Kuroo shrugged and turned back to the counter. “I don’t think Akaashi dislikes you. You’ve never really talked to him, so you wouldn’t know just yet.” He picked up and place the cup on the espresso machine, pushing a button and releasing a stream of hot coffee.

He knew that it was easier said than done to talk to a crush, though. While his noisy friend here had gone silent in pining for the reserved shopkeeper next door, Kuroo himself had begun to take interest in the blond professor from the university nearby. Every morning, while he was baking the pastries for opening, he would think of Tsukishima as he filled the tarts with filling; knowing well that the tall man loved the berry pastries the most. He would think of Tsukishima while the shop was almost empty after lunch break, wondering if the professor had taken his meal. He hoped that he hadn’t skipped in favour of grading papers.

“I skip sometimes,” Tsukishima had said to him once, upon being asked. “Papers won’t grade themselves, and the students won’t leave me alone.”  
Kuroo began to give Tsukki some extra bagels and croissants every morning. He couldn’t have the tall and slender man get thinner after all, it wasn’t healthy. In the beginning, the professor had declined since he didn’t want to take advantage of the barista’s kindness; but over time he just accepted the food since Kuroo was so insistent.

Once in a while, he would run into Tsukishima himself while walking home. Lately, the latter looked grumpier than usual, with his bag looking a little heavier and his shirt more crumpled. He was worried, of course, but Tsukishima didn’t seem to want to talk to him about it.

Bokuto eventually nodded in agreement as he opened the cash register, beginning to sort the notes and count the money. The coffee shop was quiet, with only about 3 or 4 people scattered around the large interior of the premises, since lunch hour was over for the working adults. Hence, this was the time that both Kuroo and Bokuto could catch a breather after a good four hours of the lunch rush.

“I really want to ask him out on a date,” The silver haired man sighed a little too solemnly, as if he had already given up before he even started. “I don’t know where to start, I _really_ don’t want to fuck this up.”  
  
“Then maybe you should start hanging out with him? Start off as friends, then work towards it.” The other barista leaned on the counter as he took a sip of his coffee, wondering if it would taste good with the berry syrup he had stored somewhere in the shop. It was almost autumn, and he wanted to revamp his menu. Kuroo decided that he would stay in the shop after closing to experiment with the syrups and flavourings that he had stowed away in the cupboards.  
  
“Friends, huh? Well, I hate reading, that’s one thing I can’t talk to him about.” Bokuto tapped his chin thoughtfully, before standing up properly again and pulling out the notepad that he kept in his apron. He bent down to pick up the pencil, and he was back to scrawling lists on paper again.  
  
_A LIST OF THINGS THAT THE HEAVENLY AKAASHI KEIJI LIKES, A THESIS STATEMENT BY BOKUTO “CANDYMAN KOU” KOUTAROU_

“I should go and find out what I can talk to Akaashi about!” Without another pause of hesitation, the silver haired man runs out of the coffee shop, ignoring the fact that he was still on shift.  
It didn’t matter much to Kuroo, though. If it made his friend happy, then he would let it slide this time.

\---

Tsukishima hated this time of the year.  
He hated the weather. Fall was too hot and too cold at the same time, and having to decide what to wear for the day was almost like entering a lottery. He hated how the coffee shops began to get a little too crowded for his taste and having to wait in a long line for just _one_ cup of coffee. He couldn’t survive without it, a day without coffee would be a day of murderous thoughts and murmured swearing.  
  
There were many things that Tsukishima Kei disliked during Fall, that that included his job.  
The piles of essays he had to grade, the endless emails regarding group projects and the fact that he had to bring some of the work home since it was far too much to complete during work hours alone; indeed, Tsukishima absolutely **_abhorred_** the fall.

“Tsukki. You’re frowning really hard again—“  
  
He sighed as he looked up from his desk, glaring at his freckled friend sitting on the couch with a bunch of files in his hands.  
  
“Don’t call me Tsukki. Anyway, don’t you have tons of work to do? All those sketches aren’t going to grade themselves, Yamaguchi.” Tsukishima raised a brow at him, half glad that Yamaguchi had distracted him from grading for the moment. If he had to read one more  half-assed history paper, he would honestly go mad. He wondered how Yamaguchi even managed to smile, at this point. He knew that the professors from the Department of Design were all up to their eyeballs in work, with so many submissions needing to be graded for the term.  
  
“I’ll handle it, Tsukki, don’t you worry.” Yamaguchi simply grinned at his longtime friend, putting the files on the table and pulling out another from his bag.  
  
Yamaguchi was Tsukishima’s longest friend.  
  
Their friendship suddenly began when a tinier Yamaguchi had accidentally gotten stuck in a tree during recess. Surrounded by the kindergarten’s most notorious kids, poor Yamaguchi had climbed up the tree to avoid a beating with the sticks they were brandishing at him. As a result, he ended up clinging to the branch like a koala after realizing how high up he was.  
  
Tsukishima had come to his rescue by scaring off the bullies with his height, then using his height to get him unstuck.  
  
Their friendship only blossomed from then onwards.  
  
Yamaguchi was there in junior college, when Akiteru had moved out, and he was there in high school, where he had his first heartbreak. Now, in their late 20s, Yamaguchi was here with him as a faculty member in the university. It was apparent to him that the both of them would never be separated, that their friendship was meant to last.

“TsukkI! Do you want to take a break?” Tsukishima paused in his grading once more, deciding that he wouldn’t be able to continue on anyway. Behind the blinds that Tsukishima closed a while ago, the sun was beginning to set; colouring the skies in hues of oranges and yellows. He’d had enough for the day, and he honestly just wanted to go home early today.  
  
“I might just stop here, Yamaguchi. I’m tired.” This made Yamaguchi look a little happier for some reason, and he got up, shoving the folders into his bag.  
  
“Let’s go grab some dinner then! I know the perfect place!” The freckled man ran over to his taller friend’s desk and picked up the latter’s bag. “There’s a really good restaurant at the shopping district nearby that I’ve wanted to visit for a while. They might close if we don’t hurry!”  
  
Although Tsukishima was a little irked at being rushed like this, he was honestly too tired to resist, especially since he hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast. His stomach was grumbling, and the feeling of being hungry irritated Tsukishima even more. Once he had finished packing up, he left his office with Yamaguchi, locking the door behind him.

\---

Bokuto hadn’t returned after speeding out of the shop that afternoon. He wasn’t worried, though, since he had decided to close shop a little earlier for the day. As he pulled out the bottles of syrup from the overhead cabinet, he noticed two figures out of the corner of his eye; wandering outside his shop.  
  
Naturally, Kuroo turned his head, curious to see who was lurking outside the window.  
  
“Tsukki?”  
  
Without any hesitation, Kuroo put down the bottles on the counter and walked towards the door. What was Tsukishima doing at this time? Wasn’t it a little to early to leave work? And who was that freckled guy next to him?  
  
He opened the door and stepped outside, before calling out for the blond, noticing that he looked absolutely exhausted. Tsukishima’s face was a little pale, and there were heavy bags under his eyes. His companion wasn’t looking good himself. The freckled guy’s shaggy hair was in a mess, and there was that one lock of hair that seemed to stick up no matter how he moved. His face was a telltale sign of his exhaustion, but he somehow still managed to look energetic.

Tsukishima looks up from his phone, noticing Kuroo on the steps of his shop.  
  
“Kuroo? Isn’t it time for the dinner rush? Why are you outside?” Yamaguchi looked up at Tsukishima, face twisted in an expression that the latter couldn’t identify.  
  
“Yeah, well, I closed shop early. Do you two want to come in?” Kuroo stepped aside, pushing the door open. “It’s a little cold today, I’ll whip some coffees up for you.”  
  
“No need, Kuroo, we’re just about to go to d—“

“Okay! Thanks!” Surprisingly, Yamaguchi had cut Tsukishima off. In a moment of sudden urgency, the former grabbed his friend’s wrist and dragged him up the stairs and into the shop. Tsukishima was absolutely confused. Firstly, when was his friend so strong? He couldn’t even yank his hand away from his grip. Secondly, why was he acting so weird? It was as if Yamaguchi _wanted_ the both of them to go inside.  
  
“Yamaguchi, didn’t you want to go to the new restaurant? It’s right across the street, it’ll close if we don’t hurry.”  
  
“Tsukki, it’s alright. The restaurant opens until 10pm, we’ll be fine. Plus, the dinner rush will make it really crowded.” Yamaguchi sat down at one of the tables closest to the counter, looking quite excited all of a sudden. “You don’t like crowds, right?”

One thing he hated about Yamaguchi was how he seemed to know absolutely everything there is to know about him. It wasn't that Tsukishima felt he had no privacy - it was because Yamaguchi could easily use what he knew against his tall companion, a prime example being right now.

“What would you like to drink?” Kuroo asked the both of them as he pulled a chair over, sitting with his front pressed to the backrest and his arms crossed over the top of it.  
  
“Um. I’d like an Americano, and Yamaguchi—“  
  
“I’d like a cappuccino please!”

While the barista got up and made his way to the counter, Tsukishima turned to Yamaguchi and glared at him; his brows furrowing as his eyes narrowed a little, lips pursing.  
  
“Yamaguchi,” The blond hisses at him, hoping that Kuroo didn’t overhear him, “What are you trying to do?”  
  
“Well, Kuroo-san seems nice! He seems to like you a lot—“  
  
“Yamaguchi Tadashi, we talked about this. I don’t want to date.”  
  
“Tsukki, it’s been 7 years. The thing with Manabu is over, you have to get over that!”  
  
“Yamaguchi, I said it once and I’ll say it again. What happened with Manabu is my business, I don’t want to repeat myself.”  
Yamaguchi opened his mouth to speak, only to be completely cut off by Tsukishima raising his hand. Something about the simple movement told Yamaguchi that the conversation was over. They both sat in silence for a while, listening to a spoon clinking against a porcelain mug as Kuroo stirred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: whew, i'm really tired, cause school's starting next week. rip me.  
> i'll do my best to update one of my stories every week! currently i have "i am a lost boy" and "dreamscape" on my list! so my update schedule should rotate between i am a lost boy and dreamscape.  
> thanks for following my stories and as always, thank you so much for all your support! 
> 
> tumblr: kimochees101.tumblr.com/weeilums.tumblr.com  
> twitter: @kimochees


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